"… It is said that in the second month of that year, during the 'Spring Bowl' festival in Liao, all the tribal leaders participated in the 'Head Fish Feast' hosted by Yelu Yanxi. At that time, Wanyan Aguda stood up and asked Yelu Yanxi to return Shu's land, but Yelu Yanxi ignored him. When the feast reached its climax, Yelu Yanxi ordered the leaders to sing and dance to liven things up. Wanyan Aguda did not move and said he would not. Yelu Yanxi was furious and almost killed Wanyan Aguda on the spot. Now, Wanyan Aguda is in the prime of his life and is full of ambition. The war between Jin and Liao will not end until one side is dead. Our Great Wudang will reap the benefits and balance the situation between the two sides. In my opinion, once the war breaks out, our army should first show weakness and then take Yingzhou first … "
It was also noon of the Dragon Boat Festival. In a restaurant by the river, Gu Yanzhen was chatting with several companions. There were still all kinds of festive scenes below. People came and went in the restaurant. Several people held bowls, chopsticks and plates on the table and discussed for a long time.
"I didn't expect Yanzhen to have such attainments in military strategy. I admire him, I admire him."
Among his companions, one of them was a low-ranking officer in the army. He cupped his hands and smiled. Then, one of them clapped his hands and said, "It's not just military strategy. Not only is Yanzhen quick-witted, but he's also brave and intelligent. It's said that he encountered bandits on his way to the capital, but Yanzhen managed to escape. Then, he called for reinforcements and captured the bandits in one fell swoop.
"Really?" Someone's eyes widened.
"Haha, it's just a coincidence that I happened to be here." Gu Yanzhen smiled. "However, I have always felt that the civil and military affairs, one is tense and the other is relaxed. In today's situation, both should be cultivated. This time, after going to Leping, if I can have some achievements in a few years, I even want to throw away my pen and join the army, and follow Ban Chao's ambition …"
He went to Leping in July, and it was estimated that he would leave Jiangning in June. The group of people chatted and laughed, and there was a burst of compliments. When the small gathering dispersed and everyone had left, he sat in front of the window, looking at the scenery outside and thinking about something. Soon, a follower named Xiao Si came up.
"Did you find out?"
"In response to young master's question, from yesterday until today, we've already found out a lot about that Ning Liheng. However, I'm here mainly because there's news from the workshop. "
"Hmm?"
"The matter of the century eggs has been prepared."
"This matter …" Gu Yanzhen frowned. "It doesn't make much sense … but it's fine. Let's go and take a look. Tell me about Ning Yi on the way. "
"Yes, it is said that this Ning Yi has always kept a low profile and is good at hiding his strength. Yesterday, I investigated his original identity, and the people around his original residence all said …"
The two of them passed through the market, turned into an alley, and entered a dirty workshop. After a few moments, Gu Yanzhen pinched his nose and frowned as he walked out, "Fine, since everything is ready, we will start selling it to the market tomorrow. She will sell it for twenty copper coins, and this place will sell it for ten copper coins. I won't be coming here again. It's just a small matter, I'll let Boss Hu take care of it."
"Yes, but … young master will leave for Leping next month. Boss Hu is worried that even so, I'm afraid we won't be able to destroy the other party's business in a month."
"Who said that we have to destroy her business? What's the use of destroying the other party's business? You don't have to worry about this matter. Just do what you need to do. "
Frowning, Gu Yanzhen walked forward. His family was originally a landlord and was rich. It didn't cost much to make century eggs. At that time, it was also because he wanted to know who was behind Nie Yunzhu, but he had no clue. Later, he sent someone to do some work. If there was really a famous old man behind Nie Yunzhu, this matter might be a little meaningful, but at this time, it had become a little redundant. But it was fine. A little time was enough for her to understand how vulnerable those unrealistic fantasies of independence were.
Thinking back to what Little Si had just said, that Ning Yi usually liked to do some messy things, but in terms of seriousness, he was somewhat deviant. It was said that he made some small details like chalk and blackboard. Hmph, no wonder he hung out with people like Li Pin. I'm afraid he's also an arrogant person who thinks he's unruly. The century eggs must be made by him. Thinking back, the painting on Nie Yunzhu's car … was full of craftsmanship, not elegant at all.
Later, in order to spread out the century eggs, he didn't use any novel means, just a lowly method like finding someone to support him. In the art of war, there were good and bad methods. This kind of method was really insignificant to him. He thought of several methods, and they were more than a few times better than finding someone to support him … But now that he thought about it, it was useless. He originally thought that Yunzhu was a woman with a refined mind, but he didn't expect that she would be fooled by these little tricks. It was really ridiculous …
Walking through the noisy street, he thought about these things in his heart, thinking about the two people, Yunzhu, Ning Liheng … He thought that the other party was noble and pure, that the other party had found a good person, and that there were really some twists and turns beyond his imagination in it. Now that he thought about it …
It was disappointing …
A famous prostitute in a brothel who looked at the sky from the bottom of a well but thought she was pure, and a son-in-law of a merchant who used some clumsy tricks and thought he was a romantic scholar. Thinking about it, it was really more ridiculous and unbearable than those vulgar hookups …
It was a pity that he had been entangled by these things before.
With this thought in mind, he once again saw the two of them at night.
*****
Just as Su Tan'er predicted in the morning, after the assassination last night, there was a strict search in and out of the city today. It was impossible to let a large group of people in and out of the city. The performance on the last night of the Top Beauty Competition was changed to a large drill ground by the river east of the city. The scenery here was naturally not as beautiful as outside the city, but it was temporarily arranged. It was a little crowded, but there was no problem for it to accommodate three thousand people. The river next to it could also accommodate pleasure boats. After all, this Top Beauty Competition was related to a huge income for the Jiangning Prefecture, so it couldn't be canceled at will.
For ordinary people, the assassination of an imperial court official didn't have much of an impact on them. Most of them would talk about it after a meal or clap their hands. Therefore, even if this happened, it didn't affect the people's interest in watching the performance. Instead, it made people feel a little more excited.
In the afternoon, he drove around the city with Su Tan'er and the others in the carriage. They saw some interesting snacks and ate them, and all they heard was about the female assassin. In the carriage, Chan'er and Juan'er took two boxes and put on a show of "eight feet tall and eight feet in circumference" and "the pillar and the square".
Su Tan'er had already regained her spirit. Occasionally, she would lower her head and talk to Ning Yi with a smile. In the past, when everyone had scruples, she would never mention business at home when they played the role of a model couple. But now, it was mostly related to business. For example, she talked about how the closing of the city gate this time would affect the business of the shop and how much income they expected to lose. She sighed a little, but in fact, she was mostly joking. Although she sighed, she didn't take these trivial things to heart.
On the side, Ning Yi occasionally came up with some unreliable ideas, such as printing the words of the Four Books and Five Classics on cloth and then making clothes out of the cloth. When they walked out, their clothes would be covered with the words, which would be fashionable and awe-inspiring. Su Tan'er smiled and said that she would make one for her Husband next time, but it would be a little troublesome to embroider the words of the Four Books and Five Classics on it. "Husband, you have to wear it when you go out." Ning Yi naturally had no reservations and nodded in agreement.
While eating by the river, he took out a brush and ink to draw a few portraits for them. In fact, it was just a cartoonish portrait with simple lines. The expressions of the four women on the Xuan paper were exaggerated, but each had their own characteristics. After Su Tan'er and her servants laughed, they criticized Ning Yi. In this day and age, they naturally couldn't stand this kind of drawing. Ning Yi and Su Tan'er debated for a while. Under the protests of Chan'er, Juan'er, Xing'er and the others, they decided to bet with Su Tan'er to set up a roadside stall to find a soulmate. Su Tan'er originally said, "Okay, go ahead." When Ning Yi really moved a stool to the roadside and sat down to write and draw, he was pulled back by Xiaochan and the others with a smile.
Ning Yi laughed and said, "Now I win?" Su Tan'er laughed and her face turned red. "Husband, you're always messing around. I can't afford to lose face." Chan'er whispered, "Chan'er can't afford to lose face either …" Juan'er nodded hard. Then the two who tried to undermine him were casually knocked by Ning Yi. They all knew that Ning Yi was easy-going and didn't mind occasionally making jokes like this.
Since the assassination last night, people in the prefectural government had already realized that the Top Beauty Competition could not be held outside the city. Therefore, the changes to the venue had been carried out since early this morning. In the evening, Ning Yi, Su Tan'er, and the others took a carriage to the venue. The sun was setting in the west. The streets and floors around the venue were decorated with lanterns and streamers, and silk satin fluttered in the air. On the road opposite the drill ground, pleasure boats were lined up. Although the lights were not turned on, there were people coming and going on the boats, which was very lively.
In the pleasure boat room belonging to Golden Wind Pavilion, Yuan Jin'er was preparing for tonight's performance. That night, the four Courtesans would compete for the Top Beauty, and each of them would perform three times. The time between the evening and the performance was usually a time for them to rest and not many people would come to disturb them. Of course, the performers also had the right to make their own arrangements. If they really had someone they liked, they might also be taken into the room to stay with them for a while. At this time, there was another person in Yuan Jin'er's pleasure boat room. It was not her maid, but Nie Yunzhu who was disguised as a man. The two were guarding by the window, watching the scene of people coming in from the other end of the drill ground and chatting.
"Tonight is very important, right?" Yuan Jin'er asked Nie Yunzhu.
Nie Yunzhu nodded. She seemed to be more nervous than Yuan Jin'er. "Well, if there are no problems tonight, there will be a lot of things to do from tomorrow onwards."
"I'm not nervous." Yuan Jin'er secretly took a piece of mung bean cake and took a bite. Then she was glared at by Nie Yunzhu, and the remaining half was also snatched away by her. Nie Yunzhu threw the mung bean cake into her mouth, chewed it hard, swallowed it, and then drank a mouthful of water angrily. "I told you not to eat these things all the time!"
"But I'm not nervous. I don't want to be the Top Beauty. If Feng Xiaojing wants it, Qi Lan wants it, and Luo Miaomiao wants it, they can just take it. Sister Yunzhu, you are really strange. If you come to participate in this Top Beauty Competition, I'm afraid you won't feel anything at all. But now you're nervous about that little thing … "
"It's the first time I've done it to this extent. Of course I'm nervous. If there are no accidents today, the reputation of the century eggs may really be spread. As for the previous performances, Jin'er, you didn't take it to heart, so naturally you're not nervous. "
"Don't worry, Jin'er will help you, Brother Yunzhu." Yuan Jin'er smiled, and then thought of something. Her face changed instantly, and she narrowed her eyes fiercely. "By the way, Sister Yunzhu, a few days ago, I heard that there were fake century eggs, and someone is also selling it. He wants to compete with you for business. What should we do …"
"Ah?" Nie Yunzhu was slightly puzzled, and then she frowned. "Is there already?"
"No way. Jin'er is so worried and asked everywhere. Sister Yunzhu, as the big boss, how could you not know? Then why have I beaten up the villain and cursed the guy who stole your business every night for the past few days, Sister Yunzhu … I'm so angry!"
"Nope, he expected this to happen." Nie Yunzhu said and smiled slightly. "He said that if there is such a thing, he will arrange it, and asked me not to worry about it. So I haven't investigated it these days, and I've been worrying about tonight's matter …"
"So powerful?" Yuan Jin'er glanced at her unhappily. "Humph, I'd like to see what he can do …"
After saying this, she turned her head and looked outside. After a few glances at the crowd, she suddenly became spirited and blinked her eyes. "Ah, speaking of the devil, he's here. Sister Yunzhu, look, look, your lover … ah … woo, Brother Yunzhu, I was wrong …"
*****
Looking back, the second leader of the son-in-law had appeared. Thank you, Shuju 091012223056421, for your support ^ _ ^
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